Charles River Esplanade

Your Guide

The Boston Embankment, now commonly referred to as the Charles River Esplanade, was completed in 1910 as part of the Charles River Dam construction. This narrow strip of land served as a promenade for the neighborhoods of Back Bay and Beacon Hill.

Landscape architect Arthur Shurcliff designed the riverbank paths and a series of formal overlooks and boat landings along the shore of the expanded esplanade, which was dedicated in 1936. Picturesque tree massing softened the appearance of the overlooks and offered places for sitting and enjoying the river scenery. Shurcliff’s Storrow Lagoon was created for pleasure boating, toy boat sailing, and wintertime skating.

When Storrow Drive was constructed in the early 1950s much of the parkland between the river, the Back Bay, and Beacon Hill was lost. Shurcliff and his son Sidney were hired to redesign the entire shore from the Boston University Bridge to the Charles River Dam.

A canoeway was extended from the Hatch Shell to the Storrow Lagoon. A new pedestrian overpass near the 1941 Hatch Shell was named for the Boston Pop’s legendary conductor Arthur Fiedler.

The Centennial Fountain, located in the lagoon on axis with Dartmouth Street, celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Metropolitan Park System.

Aerial View

Hatch Shell

The music oval, pathways, and banks near the Hatch Shell are used for concerts, walk-a-thons, and special events including the Fourth of July concert and fireworks display.

Image: Mass DCR

Canoeway

A canoeway was created between the Hatch Shell and the Storrow Lagoon to make up for the park land lost in the 1950s construction of Storrow Drive.

Image: Halvorson Design Partnership

Multi-Use Pathway

A multi-use pathway serves pedestrians, cyclists, and service vehicles along the esplanade area. Joggers have created well-worn paths on both sides.

Image: Halvorson Design Partnership

Commissioners Landing

Commissioners Landing, part of Arthur Shurcliff’s 1936 expansion of the esplanade, will be restored by the Boston Department of Conservation and Recreation within the next few years.

Image: Mass DCR

Pedestrian Bridge

The pedestrian overpass -- named for the Boston Pop’s legendary conductor Arthur Fiedler -- connects the Music Oval and the Hatch Shell with Beacon Street near the Boston Public Garden. Pedestrians and cyclists can access the esplanade area from this bridge and several others over Storrow Drive.

Image: Halvorson Design Partnership

Esplanade PlaySpace

Upstream from the Hatch Shell is the new Esplanade PlaySpace designed by Halvorson Design Partnership in 2012. Curvilinear granite elements provide seating and a protective edge to the play area, and mature oak and maple trees offer a shaded summer canopy. The project was funded as a public-private partnership between the Boston city government and the Esplanade Association.

Image: Ed Wonsek ArtWorks

Custom Play

The Esplanade PlaySpace incorporates several custom play elements, including the climbing structure designed and built by artist Mitch Ryerson.

Image: Ed Wonsek ArtWorks

Storrow Lagoon

At the Storrow Lagoon, almost all the parkland between the Back Bay neighborhood and the water was lost, leaving a narrow, multi-use path. A fence along the edge protects pedestrians and bicyclists from the Storrow Drive traffic.

Image: Halvorson Design Partnership

Red Sox Fields

Teddy Ebersol’s Red Sox Fields provide recreational baseball and soccer fields for the community. The fields are the site of Charlesbank, the first public park on the Charles River, built downstream of the Longfellow Bridge and designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in the 1880s.